Okay, so... word on the street is that there's a lot of confusion concerning the MPE - who needs to take it, how and when to take it, blah blah blah. Here's what you need to know!

Do I need to take the exam?If you have received any email or postcard from RIT that says so, then yes. If you haven't received either, but are still unsure or concerned, then check this list of majors that require calculus credit for graduation. If you see your program, you need to take it!

What about AP credit? SAT/ACT scores?Regardless of your scores or AP results, you need to take the exam. However, AP credits have the potential to earn credit once they've been assessed by your department.

Practice exam? Nahhh...Take it. It'll help you to understand how to answer the questions in the browser, and warm you up. For some of us, math is still a foreign language (ahem...). Be advised, there are a few reported bugs within the practice exam, but ONLY the practice exam.

How much time do I need?The exam itself is 30 questions over 60 minutes. Allow yourself a total of 90 minutes for the practice exam.

When do I need to take the exam?Before June 30. I strongly suggest that you take it sooner than later. If you forget, RIT won't - you will be pulled from your Orientation experience to take the exam with everyone else who forgot. How embarassing...

Bottom line: The MPE is a quick assessment to guage where you should be for required math courses. It has no affect on your GPA, and will benefit you in the long run. Click here to login in (using your RIT username/password). If you have any other questions, see the FAQ.

Registration time!! no, this isn't a minute by minute account of the registration process which i have previously written at the "why am i alive" hour of 5:45 in the morning. and since i won't be doing that next week [long story short - it involves moving to florida], i've decided to write about the other painful process of registration: picking your classes.

in every major, there are certain classes required to graduate. RIT tells you when to take these classes. it does not make things easier. because even though you know which year and which quarter to take them, it does not help you pick out which professor or which section you want to take it. and then there's all the liberal arts and electives that you have to take. and sometimes the classes you want to take are only offered at the times that classes you have to take are offered. so you finally organize your schedule. then it's registration time. and BAM. you hit snooze on your alarm. you wake up and it's 5:59. your computer takes forever to start up. you can't get into the system. the class you want is filled. you didn't plan a back up schedule. AHHHHHHHHHHHH.

this planning is getting to my head. i can't figure out what i want to take for my last liberal arts. i can't figure out which photo class i want to take because now it's not based on time like last year or professor like earlier this year but what on they're actually teaching!! it's a little overwhelming.

so...superbowl. i honestly have no clue what teams are playing each other. to me, the superbowl is a collection of commercials interuppted by some football. i heard that there's one commercial this year where somebody is proposing. i've been addicted to watching superbowl commercials since i was a kid. in second grade, i was not allowed to watch tv for that weekend for some reason but i snuck watching tv to watch the commercials. and i remember the "bud" "weis" "er" commercial with the frogs. and the commercial where the bird flew into the garage door. and the commercial last year with the magic fridge.

well, time to stop procrastination [i just searched google for superbowl commercials] and time to start doing homework. well, maybe i'll eat first...maybe.

I like to warn people before they're about to waste their time - so - if you've been at RIT for a few quarters or go to another college, this post will bore you and/or will not satisfy your deep-rooted desire to know about Jeff. This is geared towards those folks who are looking at schools (particularly RIT) and wonder what happens when you have to pick your classes. See the last paragraph if you are a current RIT student.

Over the last two weeks, my peers and I have been indulging in the age old art form of course registration. It's that delightful time of year where you actually have to use foresight and think past next week :-).

Since RIT is on a quarterly schedule, this process takes place four times a year. Registration for a given quarter usually falls during weeks 7 and 8 of the proceeding term (summer registration being the exception and fall registration happens during spring quarter). Signing up for classes takes place entirely online via RIT's Student Information System (we just call it SIS). The actual date of your registration is determined by your year level - graduate students and 6th years go first, followed by 5th years, followed by 4th years, and so on and so forth. If you're an honors student, you can add an imaginary year level on to give you a head start on those in your year (i.e. 1st year honors students will register on the day that 2nd year students do). You can login to SIS starting at 6AM on your assigned date. It's a bit early for us college people, but it's a time when virtually everyone is not tied up in class.

In high school - it's pretty easy to choose out your courses and the graduation requirements are decidingly universal. But at a massive university with tons of different majors, knowing what you have to take to graduate isn't exactly common sense. There are several tools that RIT-folk consult to make life easier:

Course Listings - http://register.rit.edu/ You can't figure out what you need or want to take if you don't know what's being offered. This site tells you what is going to be taught. Course listings for several quarters in advance are also posted, making it much easier to plan ahead.

Graduation Requirments - Course Worksheet (Example: Computer Science B.S. Worksheet) This tells you what is needed to graduate. Incoming freshmen receive a copy of this when they meet with their department during orientation week. Keep it handy and keep it up to date. (If you're looking at RIT and want to see a given course worksheet, contact the department you're interested in. If you pop me a comment at the end of the post, I can link you to any given major's worksheet.)

Schedule Maker - http://schedule.csh.rit.edu/ The friendly boys and girls over at the Computer Science House (CSH) whipped up a delightful little tool that helps generate and record schedules. Say that you want to take Psychology and Ethics for Nerds, but both courses are offered at multiple times. Using CSH's tool, it can generate all possible schedules that include the two classes. Once you've finished registering, you can save your schedule and make it available to your friends. (An example is my winter schedule posted here...ladies - no stalking!)

Academic Advisor These friendly folks are here to answer any and all questions related to what you should take. Often times you'll have an academic advisor (a staff member dedicated to advising) and a faculty advisor (a professor in your department). Contact information for both of these people are available from SIS or your department. My academic advisors in the Computer Science department have been invaluable resources throughout my RIT career.

Professor Evalutions - http://www.coursereviews.com/u1551 Want to see what other students thought of a professor before you take him/her? Check out this site for an extensive list of reviews.

Back in my tour days, a lot of accepted students would ask when they have to register. The answer is: incoming freshman do NOT register themselves for their first quarter. Your schedule is determined by your department and if you have issues with it, you can have it changed via your academic advisor. An opportunity to meet with your advisor is given during orientation week.

If you have any questions about registering or have any tips about registering, please feel free to post them in the comments section of this post. I'm going to create a page about resources helpful to current or prospective RIT students and put a link to this entry on it. Hopefully, over time it'll grow as people inquire about how to choose classes or offer tips.

There is a lot to love about RIT, but one part of the RIT experience seems to stand out for most students and that is the RIT Co-Op or Cooperative Education program. For those of you who may not be familiar with the term co-op, a co-op is essentially a job. Most people are more familiar with the term "internship", but where internships are typically unpaid, part-time job placements, all co-op positions at RIT are FULL TIME, PAID, job placements in your feild of study or area of career interest.

RIT has the forth oldest and one of the largest co-op programs in the world. The Institute partners with companies not only in the Rochester area, but across the country and abroad. About 80% of RIT students will participate in the Co-Op Program. Depending on the major you enroll in, your department may require your to participate in co-op before you are able to graduate.

There is a chart that I think is a great reference. It explains which majors will co-op, how many co-op placements will be required, and the aveage salaries that students are earning when they are out on co-op.

Experience That Pays

If you enroll in a co-op
program at RIT, you will have between six and 15 months of
paid work experience completed by the time you graduate. You
will have worked for as many as five different employers in
locations across the country. Whether you work in a large
industrial laboratory, a world-renowned medical facility or
a software development firm in your hometown, you’ll
have a good idea of what you’re looking for in your
career after graduation. You can also sample the lifestyles
found in different parts of the United States (or the world)
while you explore career opportunities through co-op. Upon
graduation, you’ll be able to choose the place and position
that are right for you.

RIT co-op
also gives you the chance to test what you’ve learned
in the classroom in real-world situations. When you’re
in a lab testing a new theory in quantum physics, reading
a textbook on cognitive psychology or computing net present
value in a finance problem, you may wonder how your studies
fit your future career. Our co-op program gives you a chance
to find out. If you’re like many RIT students, understanding
how theoretical knowledge is actually used in the work place
will give you the incentive you need to work harder when you
come back to campus for your academic quarters.

While you’re working on co-op,
you’ll meet other professionals in your field. You’ll
be able to consult with them on professional issues and talk
with them about your goals. These professional contacts can
help you identify job openings in your field and get you started
on the road to your lifetime career goals.

Co-op also helps you pay for
your college education. At RIT, no tuition is charged for
the quarters you are employed as a co-op student. Instead,
your employer will pay you a full-time salary. Last year,
RIT co-op students earned more than $20 million. Refer to
our salary
data to find out how much you can expect to earn through
co-op. You’ll find that your co-op earnings can go a
long way toward helping you finance your RIT education.

Now that January has come to an end,
I’m trying to put my hands on those tax documents that came to me last month. I
understand that filing tax returns can be scary for a lot of people – even me!
The hardest part is collecting all of those required documents and carving out
time to read, add, and enter data. Even finding time to take those tax documents
to a preparer can be a challenge. For some people, it doesn’t end with filing
the tax returns! Filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
comes soon after. At RIT the FAFSA is the only required application to apply for
need-based Federal, New
YorkState,
and RIT sponsored financial aid. If your taxes are done, the FAFSA is a little
easier to get through. But, you can complete the FAFSA using estimated income as
well.

I spent Sunday with several of my
colleagues assisting over 175 families from the RochesterCitySchool
District complete the FAFSA on-line. I’ll admit, at
times, the application was confusing and a little frustrating. But, these
families got through it! For me, it was a great experience to see and feel what
families go through when completing the FAFSA. So much of my time is spent
looking at the end-results of the FAFSA, that I forget what goes into getting it
submitted. But, I feel a lot more equipped to answer questions regarding the
application process, as I’m confident that my colleagues do as well. So, ask the
questions!

New students who want to be
considered for financial aid at RIT should complete the FAFSA prior to March
1st. This will insure that you receive a Financial Aid Award mid-late
March…just in time to make an Admission Decision by May 1st! And for
those students who have applied as an Early Decision candidate to RIT, it is not
too late to apply for an Early Decision Financial Aid Award. You’ll have to
complete the FAFSA on-line at www.fafsa.ed.gov. We’re looking daily for
FAFSA’s completed by Early Decision candidates. Additional information
regarding financial aid at RIT can be found on our website at www.rit.edu/financialaid.

When considering colleges, some students interested in being teachers may not immediately think of RIT.But, those students may want to take another look.RIT and NazarethCollege just announced a partnership to increase the number of math and science teachers by allowing qualified undergraduate RIT students to take graduate-level coursework at Nazareth that would allow them to work towards their Master of Science in Education while still completing coursework in their math or science Bachelors degree at RIT. After graduating from RIT, students can then continue their studies at Naz leading to an initial teacher certification in Inclusive Early Childhood, Childhood or Adolescence Education.

Today, I woke up at 7:15, got dressed and ready, walked to class, gave a presentation, then walked home. It didn't seem much different than any other day I'd gone to Campaign Management and Process. The difference was written in my planner and on my calendar and saved as a countdown on my phone and my facebook. After I finished my presentation, I had completed all of my requirements for graduation.

It's a really weird feeling to be done done. It was such an ordinary day for such an extraordinary event. I once read somewhere that less than one-third of the adult American population has obtained a college degree. There should be some sort of celebration. Balloons. Streamers. Anything. I guess I have to wait until Saturday for the celebration...

Right now we're in the midst of Senior Week, a week of events sponsored by CAB (College Activities Board) for guess who? SENIORS!! It kicked off with Senior Night on Friday. There was a dinner in Clark Gym and then activities in the SAU. Ariel came with me and we got some pretty sweet massages. I haven't gone to any other of the senior week events...yet...but I'm about to. There's a senior ice cream social in the quad right now.

I just have
to say that I spent a lot of time this year learning about Veterans’ Education
Benefits (VA benefits).

First, the 2009-2010
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) had changes regarding VA benefits.
In prior years, FAFSA filers were asked to report the monthly amount of VA benefits
expected. Financial aid administrators were required to include that amount as
a resource when calculating other federal student aid. An analogy is borrowing
an auto loan: If you trade in a vehicle and/or pay cash for a portion of the auto
cost, you can only borrow an auto loan for the difference. Likewise, if a
student has VA benefits and other aid applied towards educational costs, the
amount of educational loans that can be borrowed is the difference. For the
most part it was pretty straightforward.

However, on
the 2009-2010 FAFSA, the applicant was not
asked to report the monthly value of their VA benefits. Instead, they were
asked to report the type of VA benefits. So, I didn’t see dollar amounts (which
I understand very well). I saw chapter numbers such as 1606, 1607, 30, 31, 33.
These meant nothing to me. But, to be in compliance with federal student aid regulations
we needed to convert the chapter numbers to dollar amounts. So, I spent time with
our Veterans Administrator (Gene Clark) and bookmarked the US Department of Veterans
Affairs website (http://www.va.gov/). I soon learned
how to calculate a value for most of the reported Chapters on the FAFSA. Of
course, the new Chapter 33 benefits (Post – 9/11 Veterans Educational
Assistance) were impossible to estimate. We got through our financial aid awards
making sure that the VA benefits were included.

Then, on July
1st President Obama signed into law technical corrections to the Higher
Education Act (HEA). Among other things, effective with the 2009-2010 financial
aid award year, Veterans’ Educational Benefits are to be excluded as a resource for calculating federal student aid! I spent
much of July and August recalculating financial aid awards with estimated VA benefits.
I had to take the dollar amount of VA benefits out of the calculation and
pretend that the reported chapter numbers didn’t exist. The automobile loan analogy
no longer works for me! But, a lot of veterans on campus were happy to see the
additional federal aid funds. And I think President Obama sent a strong message
of support to our Veterans

Since the
world of financial aid is turbulent, another twist quickly came with regards to
VA benefits. On July 8th, New York State Higher Education Services
Corporation (HESC) sent out a bulletin clarifying a school’s responsibility for
reporting VA benefits. Most of the aid programs through HESC are tuition awards
such as TAP (tuition award program). If a student receives a VA benefits that is
applied towards tuition (Chapter 33) then the school needs to report that. HESC
will not pay a tuition award if there is already a tuition award applied and no
remaining tuition cost to the student.

As it
stands today, I can’t look at VA
benefits for determining federal student aid eligibility. However, I have to
look at VA benefits when certifying a New York State TAP award. And RIT factors
in VA benefits when determining eligibility for RIT-sponsored grants and
scholarships.

I’m still
holding on! I’ll get a Part 2 blog out on Veterans’ Education Benefits - sharing
what I know about the new Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Benefits. So, stay
tuned.

At RIT, our essay requirement is broad to allow students the flexibility to write about what they’d like.Students can submit an essay they’ve written for a class, a professional statement-why they are interested in a career field or major, an essay about themselves which tells us more about what makes them unique, or a significant event in their life…the skies the limit!

Here are some pointers:

1. Choose a meaningful topic.Whether it’s a topic on why you’re passionate about computers, or community service, if you choose a topic you’re passionate about, it will reflect in your essay.Shouldn’t it be easier to write about things you know about?

2. Tell us more.You application will already include your transcript and test scores.Tell us something that we wouldn’t know already from your other application pieces.

3. But, get to the point.While the essay typically will have a beginning, middle, and end, don’t go on and on.We don’t set specific length guidelines and read everything that is submitted with the application.However, don’t think that your essay has to be long for it to be good.

4. Edit.It sounds basic, but re-read your essay.Have other people read your essay.Have your English teacher read your essay.While the topic is very important, so is the need to have a well-written essay with no spelling errors or grammatical mistakes.

The essay is just one part of the application materials you will send to colleges.It is however, one that you have a lot of control over…make it work!